Customer Reviews

Car Design Yearbook 1: The Definitive Guide to New Concept and Production Cars Worldwide

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I recently bought this book as a present for a friend and think that it is fantastic. It has all of the latest production and concept developments from the past year in one text! It gives real insight into both car design and the current automotive industry with stunning photos and informative write ups. The content is logically ordered and written in an accessible way. I think that the book is incredible value and will be of interest both as a reference text to industry people, and as a great book for the enthusiast. A brilliant present to give someone, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Given author Newberry's design responsibilities at world-famous consultancy firm Tom Walkinshaw Racing, I had hoped that this book would contain intelligent critiques of current car designs and trends. Instead, it is a collection of glossy manufacturer-supplied photos and relentlessly positive model descriptions that read like mildly reworked press releases from the factory headquarters. Perhaps Newberry's employer wouldn't let him offend any existing or potential clients but, if you are hoping for objective design analysis as opposed to a pretty summary of sales brochures, look elsewhere.

Finally a Design Yearbook for the highest Design objects on the market !
This book is beautifully laid out, showing a broad selection of concept cars from the leading auto manufacturers worldwide.

The quality of the photography is high, showing both detail and general views well. Some models that did not reach prototyping appear as computer models (not always of the highest quality), which is a shame but also an obvious constraint of their being "concepts".

The texts are interesting, covering strategy, marketing and aesthetic issues -but short- they definately leave the reader with questions unanswered.

As a product designer, the book has served me as a reference for form and detail, and has come off the shelf many times since I bought it.

If one can pay over a million dollars for some paint on old canvas, the cost of this book is negligible. Since autos are as much sculpture as any bronze statue, this is a book to present a standard in automotive art. Definitely a winner for anyone's book collection. From examples of the printer's art to fine examples of photography, this is worth not buying that bottle of wine you were thinking of. Buy it! The only drawback is the number of mouthwatering concept cars that will never be on the market. Sob!!

I'm trying find this book for a long time, and this it's the only one that I not had from the series, this book are awesome, pure design and inovation, like always.

I have not seen a collection of autos quite as remarkable as this, and I've seen many autos. The auto is a beautiful thing, and these autos are second to none. Bravo, autos!

For car enthusiasts the world over, this is the book all of us have been waiting for. Indeed there is very little analysis, but the content is sufficient to support the real value of the book - the worldwide pictorial history of one year in the automotive industry. There is serious collector value in these books since there is nothing remotely similar.

There is also some value to the books' global perspective of the industry instead of the myriad of books which usually focus entirely on Europe or America (and the rare few that might look at native Japanese cars).

Of course, there is little attention paid to some other major markets; such as Australia, Central/South America, or Asia. There is a noticeable focus on Europe, particularly in the 1st volume. The London-based author views the industry from the perspective of his largely European audience. His perspective on the American market does provide some insight into the European viewpoint.

In the end, this isn't a book you buy for the editorial content. It's a beautiful and collectible overview for those who admire the automobile in all its international variations. While it doesn't cover everything, it does focus on most of the vehicles that interest American and European consumers.